“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert celebrated Tuesday evening after the Supreme Court rejected former president Donald Trump’s request to block copies of his tax returns from getting into the hands of Democrats on Capitol Hill.
The House Ways and Means Committee, which has been trying to obtain the tax documents from the IRS since 2019, has faced an uphill battle due to Trump’s efforts to keep his documents under wraps.
“Remember how the former president was the only one in modern history to never release his taxes? And that the House Ways and Means committee has been fighting to see those taxes since 2019?” Colbert said, breaking the news on air moments after it came in. “Ugh! 2019, we were so innocent,” he added nostalgically. “N95 was just a bingo number, Pete Davidson was dating Kate Beckinsale and Jan. 6 was just National Bean Day.”
“Of course, every step of the way, the former president did everything in his power to obtruct and delay the release of his taxes, going all the way to the Supreme Court. But I am pleased to announce by the power invested in me by the CBS Television Network, that just a few moments ago, the Supreme Court rejected the former president, clearing the way for the House Ways and Means Committee to get six years of his tax returns.”
The live “Late Show” studio audience erupted into applause.
“That’s a long time coming!” Colbert exclaimed. “That’s a long time.”
Colbert then joked, jabbing at Trump’s middle son, “Now, following this ruling, we can finally find out if he wrote off Eric as a loss.”
The host then turned his attention to the three justices that Trump appointed himself: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch. Even with them on the Court, Trump found himself without SCOTUS support.
“Keep in mind, the Supreme Court is composed of three of his nominees, and they still rejected him,” Colbert said. “Normally, to get three people to reject his requests, he has to marry them.”
Responding to some audience members disapproving of the joke through laughter, Colbert insisted: “Really? You know what he’s like!”
Watch Colbert’s full monologue in the video above.